“He was found in a car completely under the influence of cannabis smoking spliffs with his two mates,” said Judge Tony Briggs today.

Wali “smelled strongly of cannabis” when police stopped him behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta on Marton Road, Middlesbrough.

Officers had spotted the car’s faulty brake light and went to speak to the driver at about 12.10am on November 9 last year.

Prosecutor Rachel Masters told how the whiff of weed led them to search the car and find almost £50 worth of the Class B drug.

They found another £3,500 worth of cannabis at his home on Surrey Street, Gresham, Middlesbrough.

Pizza shop worker Wali said some of the drugs were for his own use.

He told police he had a heavy habit, smoking 15 to 20 joints a day, but later suggested the cannabis had been “planted”.

Wali admitted possessing Class B drugs with intent to supply.

He said some of the cannabis was left there by third parties he did not name for fear of reprisals.

He said a Teesside associate offered to lend him £3,500 to pay for medical treatment for his infant child’s severe health illness in 2013.

He said he smoked cannabis regularly as he suffered from stress.

The debt stacked up large sums of interest, the money lenders came into his home and left drugs there.

Wali said he protested but was reminded that they knew where his wife and son were in Afghanistan.

John Nixon, defending, said Wali did not get involved because of his cannabis use but because dealers took advantage of him and applied “a high degree of coercion”.

He said: “Those higher up the chain approached him.

“It was made clear that the debt had interest added to it in a very significant sum indeed.

“They descended at his home and told him what to do. It was made clear to him there would be consequences if he failed to comply.”

He added Wali’s situation was “dire”, he was not working and his family was still in Afghanistan.

Judge Tony Briggs told Wali: “You say that you got involved in this because pressure was exerted upon you. I suspect that the reason for that was that you had a serious cannabis addiction. The prosecution accept that pressure was brought to bear on you to harbour some drugs.

“And no doubt because of the extent of your habit you were able to take advantage of cannabis coming your way.”

He said the pressure was not mentioned in four police interviews but there was clear evidence that Wali had a sick child in Afghanistan who needed serious medical treatment.

He said he could not avoid a four-month prison sentence but suspended it for two years in the “peculiar circumstances”.